In the end, Chung Mong-kyu, president of the Korea Football Association, will repeat the same mistake.
Chung Mong-kyu, chairman of the Korea Football Association (KFA), was the first to register his candidacy for the 55th president of the Korea Football Association to the Election Management Committee. “Chairman Chung Mong-kyu was the first to register his candidacy for the 55th president of the Korea Football Association to the Election Management Committee,” Chung said in a press release.
The year 2024 has been an eventful year for Korean soccer. The team failed to win the title after losing to Jordan in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, and failed to make it to the finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics, failing to make it to the Olympics for the first time in 40 years.
They were noisy outside the stadium, too. After Jurgen Klinsmann was replaced, the KFA spent six months searching for a new coach, and during the A-match period in June, they spent time as temporary coaches for Hwang Sun-hong and Kim Do-hoon. Numerous foreign coaches have been nominated, but Ulsan HD coach Hong Myung-bo was appointed as the 75th coach of the KFA.
It was an incomprehensible choice. Coach Hong Myung-bo, who had stubbornly denied rumors that he would be appointed as coach of the national team, left Ulsan fans with irreparable scars, and the KFA, which made an unconvincing decision after a long six months, left many questions. The reason for the appointment was also full of questions in many ways. Lee Im-saeng, a technical director who succeeded Chung Hae-sung, chairman of the Korea Electric Power Reinforcement Committee, who abruptly resigned during the appointment process, also failed to provide clear grounds for the appointment.
Lee Im-saeng, a technical director, said the reasons for the appointment of Hong Myung-bo were “tactical style, leadership, domestic residence issues, managerial performance, player identification, and national team experience.” In the process, Lee Im-saeng, a technical director, abused terms that the general public cannot easily understand, such as La Volpiana, Attacking Third Line Breaking, and Progression, and failed to provide convincing reasons, such as waiting in front of Hong Myung-bo’s home late at night after a business trip to Europe for an interview with a foreign coach candidate.
As various problems, including the process of appointing a national coach, were pointed out, an audit of the KFA was conducted after July 29, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the final results of the KFA audit on November 5. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed that there were a total of 27 cases of illegal and unfair business handling, and notified them to reprimand, correct, demand for caution, and come up with reasonable improvement measures. It also demanded severe disciplinary action beyond suspension of qualifications from Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and other people involved.
Despite the announcement by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu’s bid for a fourth term showed no signs of abating. Chairman Chung held a press conference to run for the 55th president of the Korea Football Association at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the conference hall of the Ponyi Foundation building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. At the press conference, Chairman Chung Mong-gyu made four pledges: “I will restore the trust of the Korea Football Association through bold reform,” “I will enhance the international competitiveness of Korean soccer,” “I will complete the Korea Football Center as a platform for the development of the soccer industry,” and “I will grow the base of soccer by successfully completing the divisional promotion system.”
Did Chairman Chung Mong-gyu look back on his mistakes? A close look at Chung’s answers at the press conference showed no remorse at all. Chairman Chung Mong-gyu was aware of the fans’ concerns, but replied, “Many soccer officials told me that they would like me to wrap it up,” and added, “I was criticized for my weaknesses internally. And he reflected on his emphasis on efficiency rather than communication,” showing lack of understanding of the current situation. 메이저놀이터
A person who is full of greed and greed without properly recognizing countless criticisms directed at him is truly qualified to represent the Korea Football Association (KFA). Also, on what grounds does Chairman Chung Mong-gyu have to reform Korean soccer and enhance its international competitiveness? If Chung Mong-gyu is re-elected for a fourth term, the outcome is certain. Chung will repeat the same mistake. And Korean soccer will miss the real “golden time.” Korean soccer is dying.